I like to re-use glass jars like from spaghetti sauce and stuff, but some of them have labels that are very hard to remove. I soak them in hot water with soap and bleach and for many jars that is good enough and I can peel and scrub off the labels with steel wool stuff. But some of them have really stuck on labels and I cannot get them off that way. Any tried and true ways to do that?
thanks!

MomtoJGJ

06-26-2010, 02:36 PM

I score them and then soak them in vinegar, but it still takes 3 or 4 dishwasher cycles for it to be all the way off...

Rea T

06-26-2010, 02:37 PM

Veggie oil/olive oil. Rub it over the sticky stuff then just scrub with a wash cloth or scrubbie thing. It may take a bit of work sometimes but should get them totally clean.

pirandellian

06-26-2010, 03:12 PM

I'll let them soak in the sink with either water and vinegar or water and dishsoap.

J3K

06-26-2010, 03:38 PM

I have success with nail polish remover. Every time.

mamacat

06-26-2010, 05:08 PM

Yep - the oil.You peel the label off as much as you can and get the rest off with the oil.It works great and also works well when you get something with a price tag that leaves a sticky spot

crunchymum

06-26-2010, 05:10 PM

is all else fails, goo gone. ;)

believer

06-26-2010, 06:57 PM

is all else fails, goo gone. ;)
All else did fail - including the nail polish remover, but it reminded me of goo gone and so I used that. It still took some scrubbing with the steel wool and now my steel wool thingy is full of sticky paper and goo, but the jar is clean. At some point in the process I realized it was not worth all of the effort that I was putting into it but by then it had become a quest to prove that I could do it.

Mother of Sons

06-26-2010, 07:04 PM

Undu works everytime. It neutralizes the adhesive. Works on stuff like stamps too because once the undu dries (which is quickly so work fast) the adhesive works again.

shekinah

06-26-2010, 11:40 PM

I usually use Windex :nails

Rabbit

06-26-2010, 11:55 PM

I only try to save the jars that have the rubber cement type goo where the paper comes round and overlaps. The ones that are truly pasted on all the way around I toss into the recycling bin for the professionals.

OnlyBelieve

06-27-2010, 02:59 AM

Lighter fluid works very well too.

Rea T

06-27-2010, 08:14 AM

Lighter fluid works very well too.

Why do I have this image of you rubbing it with lighter fluid, then lighting a match and letting it burn all the paper and goo off? :P~